Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The recent struggles for liberation in North Africa has served to fuel the combatant spirit all over the world. In the US, the struggle in Wisconsin is the assertion of the ongoing workers movement that has found a strong echo in the struggles in Ohio, Iowa and Indiana. Public sector workers, youth, anti-war organizations and disability activists are consolidating their unity to address the multifaceted system of oppression that produces inequality and constructs borders between oppressed communities, keeping us divided. This is the time to expand even further the political vision of mainstream organizing in the United States. It is time to bring forth a vision and concrete tools to challenge the politics of scapegoating and austerity that conceal the root causes of the current social, political and economic crisis.

Liberation Square – March 10, Union Park!!

The ongoing criminalization of immigrants is part of a global economic system that finds profit in the incarceration, displacement, and repression of millions across the globe. Despite the solidarity that has blossomed among people who are recognized by the system as being citizens and those who are labeled as undocumented, citizenship continues to be one of the main mechanisms for rendering people exploitable. It has been wielded as a ruthless tool for dividing us, forcing us to compete against each other in a global race to the bottom. Liberation Square, modeled on the revolutionary community that sprung up during the Egyptian revolution, is a call to “cross borders” between struggles, between divided communities and between forced political identities. Because in a system of laws that are stacked against us, we are all becoming undocumented, exploitable – from those internally displaced to communities facing mass incarceration, from criminalized dissenters to AWOL soldiers. The struggle cannot be merely a fight for “papers”, for we are fighting the perpetuation of the same system that makes us all increasigly illegitimate: it is a fight for justice beyond all borders !!!

Here in Chicago, our unity is a microcosm of the larger interconnected struggles happening around the world. And the fights we must face together at home – against the recently introduced anti-immigrant bill in the Illinois General Assembly and a mayor with an agenda of privatization – reflect the larger ones we face as a society.

We extend this invitation to organizations and communities to join us at Liberation Square. As people committed to fighting for immigrant justice, we recognize we can no longer look to politicians and their liberal organizations for real change. Liberation Square is a time and place where we can come together and build a new culture, a new politics, to harness the power of unity and create real change.

An over view for March 10 2011-What’s happening on March 10th 2011?

Mass Mobilization for Immigrant justice during an all day event on March 10. Actions troughout the day will be in the form of Gathering, March, Teach-Ins, Workshops, Rally, Protest and Celebration.

How is it going to work?

Actions for March 10 are being organized starting at 12 noon and ending at 6:00 pm with a possible celebration in the evening after 6:00PM.

12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM (Reunion/diversity of small actions)

Starting Point: “Liberation Square” at UnionPark(Corners of N. Ashland Ave and W. Washington Blvd) “Liberation Square”: A community gathering to share food, ideas and visions. This will be a space for teach-ins, workshops, sign-making and small creative actions, a place for different communities and struggles to come together.

2:00 PM (March Step off time)People will assemble in the Park area between W. Washington Blvd and W. Warren Blvd.

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM (March and Route)1st Part of the Route:People will march on W. Washington Blvd heading EAST. Until arriving at Boeing Corporate Offices Located at 100 N. Riverside Plaza, corners of W. Washington Blvd and the Chicago River. A teach-in at the Boeing Corporate Offices on the connections between the war economy and the deepening economic and political crisis is being organized.

3:15 PM -3:30 PM (Resume March to Daley Plaza)People will continue to march on W. Washington Blvd heading east to Daley Plaza, located on 118 N. Clark St for the Coming out of the Shadows Rally which is being lead by the Immigrant Youth Justice League and other youth organizations.

4:00 PM (Coming Out of the Shadows: Undocumented. Unafraid. Unapologetic. Rally)The Reunion for this rally is being call at 3:00 PM and program is schedule to start at 4:00 PM. Pending on community meetings, more details to come. Visit IYJL.org for updates on the Rally.

5:00 PM (People’s March Resumes)March will assemble subsequent of the Coming Out of the Shadows Rally at Daley Plaza. People will march back to “Liberation Square” at Union Park.

6:00 PM (Arrive at Liberation Square and Celebration)The People’s March will conclude at starting point, “Liberation Square” at Union Park with a big Celebration and gathering. More details to come after planning has been finalized.

***Not all timings can be confirmed at this time, some are pending community meetings and others can change due to actual conditions and circumstances on the day of March 10. ***

About

Contact: southsideara (at) riseup.net

TORCH Points of Unity:

1. We disrupt fascist and far right organizing and activity.

2. We don’t rely on the cops or courts to do our work for us. This
doesn’t mean we never go to court, but the cops uphold white supremacy
and the status quo. They attack us and everyone who resists oppression.
We must rely on ourselves to protect ourselves and stop the fascists.

3. We oppose all forms of oppression and exploitation. We intend to do
the hard work necessary to build a broad, strong movement of oppressed
people centered on the working class against racism, sexism, nativism,
anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and discrimination
against the disabled, the oldest, the youngest, and the most oppressed
people. We support abortion rights and reproductive freedom. We want a
classless, free society. We intend to win!

4. We hold ourselves accountable personally and collectively to live up to our ideals and values.

5. We not only support each other within the network, but we also
support people outside the network who we believe have similar aims or
principles. An attack against one is an attack against all.